Residents on a quiet Del Rio block woke up to what sounded like a war zone after Independence Day, with more than 100 spent shell casings littering Taini Avenue just after midnight. Police say officers rolled up around 12:17 a.m. on July 5 to the 1000 block of Taini Avenue near West Gutierrez Street and found two men sitting under a porch and a large field of casings spread across the area.
The men, identified by police as 20-year-olds Nathaniel Anthony Cuellar and Anthony Josue Gonzalez, were arrested and charged with deadly conduct involving the discharge of a firearm. Despite the sheer volume of gunfire, police reported no injuries or property damage.
According to News 4 San Antonio, investigators recovered casings from 9mm, .223 and 7.62 calibers and seized firearms, live ammunition and magazines to be submitted as evidence. Multiple witnesses told officers the loud bangs were clearly gunshots rather than fireworks, and one witness pointed toward the two men as the source of the firing. Police said the suspects were taken into custody without incident after exiting a residence with their hands raised.
The timing in the hours right after the Fourth of July only heightened the anxiety. As outlined by the City of San Antonio, calls about celebratory or stray gunfire tend to spike around holidays. The city reported a daily average of 102 related calls in 2023 and 304 shots-fired calls on July 4 alone, which helps explain why neighbors are often left guessing whether they are hearing legal fireworks or criminal gunfire.
Investigation And Arrests
Per News 4 San Antonio, officers first spotted Cuellar and Gonzalez sitting under a porch and noted that the pair initially avoided eye contact. Minutes later, the two men came out of the home with their hands raised and were taken into custody without incident.
Police identified both suspects as 20-year-olds and said the firearms, ammunition, magazines and casings collected at the scene will be turned over to the department's evidence unit as the case moves forward.
What ‘Deadly Conduct’ Means In Texas
Under Texas law, a "deadly conduct" charge can cover a range of dangerous behavior involving serious risk to others. It can be a Class A misdemeanor if someone recklessly engages in conduct that places another person in imminent danger of serious bodily injury. It can rise to a third-degree felony if a person knowingly discharges a firearm at or in the direction of people or occupied buildings. The statute is spelled out in the Texas Penal Code.
What Neighbors Can Do
Neighbors told reporters the late-night barrage of shots left them rattled, and police are asking anyone with video, photos or additional information to come forward to help the investigation. For non-emergencies, the Del Rio Police Department lists 830-774-2711 and additional contact information on its website. If gunfire is actively occurring or a shooting is in progress, residents are urged to call 911, according to the Del Rio Police Department.
